Ortho Tri-Cyclen tablets are used for prevention of pregnancy in women who elect to use oral contraceptives as a method of contraception.

Ortho Tri-Cyclen is also used in the treatment of moderate acne vulgaris in females at least 15 years of age, who have no known contraindications to oral contraceptive therapy and have achieved menarche. This medication should be used for the treatment of acne only if the patient desires an oral contraceptive for birth control.

Off Label Uses:

At this time, off-label Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo uses include treatment for the following conditions:

Side Effects:Some of these common bothersome (but not usually dangerous) side effects include:

Headaches (although birth control pills can improve headaches in some women)
Breakthrough bleeding and spotting between periods (especially for the first few cycles)
Nausea and vomiting
Changes in your eyes that make it more difficult to wear contact lenses
Bloating
Breast tenderness or other breast changes, such as swelling
Changes in sex drive (often a decrease, rather than an increase).

Women are often concerned about weight gain due to birth control pills, but recent research suggests that birth control pills probably do not cause weight gain for most women.

Some side effects with Ortho Tri-Cyclen, while occurring infrequently, are potentially serious and should be reported immediately to your healthcare provider. These include but are not limited to:

Signs of a stroke, such as:

Vision or speech changes
Weakness or numbness in an arm or leg
Severe headache

Depression or other emotional changes
Migraines (or changes in your migraines, if you have had them before)
Breast lumps
Signs of a blood clot in the leg, such as:

Pain in the calf
Leg cramps
Leg or foot swelling

Signs of a blood clot in the lung, such as:

Shortness of breath
Sharp chest pain
Coughing up blood

Chest pain or heaviness, which may be signs of a heart attack
Sudden loss of vision or vision changes, which can be a sign of a blood clot in the eye
Heavy vaginal bleeding between periods (light bleeding or spotting is normal)
High blood pressure (hypertension)
High cholesterol
Signs of an allergic reaction, such as:

Warnings and precautions to be aware of prior to using Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo include the following:

Combined oral contraceptives, including Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, increase the risk of blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks. These risks are quite small for healthy, young nonsmokers. However, make sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had a blood clot, stroke, heart attack, or chest pain. Smoking cigarettes greatly increases the risk of serious Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo side effects. This risk is particularly high for smokers over the age of 35.

Hormonal contraceptives, including Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, can increase your blood pressure. This can be a problem if you already have high blood pressure.

Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo does not protect against HIV, AIDS, or other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). In many cases, it is advisable to use condoms in addition to Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo.

Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo can interact with a number of different medications.

Combined oral contraceptives may slightly increase the risk of breast cancer or cervical cancer, although this is an unresolved and controversial issue. However, combined oral contraceptives seem to help protect women against ovarian and uterine cancer.

Hormonal contraceptives such as Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo may make gallbladder disease worse. If you have had a problem with your gallbladder, Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo may not be the best contraceptive method for you.

Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo may increase blood sugar, particularly in women with diabetes. Your healthcare provider may need to monitor you more closely. Let your healthcare provider know if you have any sudden vision changes while taking the drug, as this may be a sign of a blood clot in the eyes (a possible side effect of Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo and other hormonal contraceptives).

Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo can change your menstrual bleeding patterns. Some women have breakthrough bleeding (bleeding between periods), while others may not have a period at all. It is normal to have shorter and lighter periods while using the drug. However, if you notice any unusual changes in your bleeding patterns, let your healthcare provider know. If you miss a period, you should make sure you are not pregnant.

Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo can affect your cholesterol. Your healthcare provider may need to check your cholesterol levels after you start the drug, especially if you already have high cholesterol.

Occasionally, Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo (as well as any other hormonal contraceptive) can cause eye changes that make it more difficult to wear contact lenses.

Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo is considered a pregnancy Category X medication. This means that it should not be used during pregnancy.

Contraceptive hormones, such as the ones in Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, pass through breast milk. Therefore, if you are breastfeeding or plan to start, discuss this with your healthcare provider prior to taking the drug (see Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo and Breastfeeding). Combined hormonal contraceptives are usually not recommended for breastfeeding women.

Drug Interactions:Ortho Tri-Cyclen(norgestimate/ethinyl estradiol) can potentially interact with numerous other medicines. Many of these interactions can be severe enough to cause accidental pregnancy, and a backup method of birth control may be recommended.

If you are ever unsure what to do about an Ortho Tri-Cyclen drug interaction, be sure to use backup birth control until you can speak with your healthcare provider. Some of the medicines that may lead to Ortho Tri-Cyclen drug interactions include:

Try adding more purple to your diet! Purple foods such as concord grapes, blueberries, plums, pomegranates, acai berries, red wine, and even eggplants are very high in antioxidants. Purple foods have been shown to protect your heart and vision, promote mental focus,
and increase longevity. Research has indicated that purple foods may even be used to prevent or cure cancer.- Mark

It is something that really works for me. It is easy and small to use. It rid away my cramps which were extremely bad. I would recommend it to anyone who has extremely painful cramps during their menstrual cycle and to anyone trying not to get pregnant.

—Posted by Anonymous

10 May 2013

has anyone had any severe depression or feel less attracted to your signifigant other after stopping birth control? our marriage has changed drastically after my wife stopped taking them and she says she isnt attracted to me anymore. she doesnt even want to be around our kids anymore. i feel like im lost at sea here. completely.

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User Comments about Ortho Tri-Cyclen

03 May 2014

It is something that really works for me. It is easy and small to use. It rid away my cramps which were extremely bad. I would recommend it to anyone who has extremely painful cramps during their menstrual cycle and to anyone trying not to get pregnant.

has anyone had any severe depression or feel less attracted to your signifigant other after stopping birth control? our marriage has changed drastically after my wife stopped taking them and she says she isnt attracted to me anymore. she doesnt even want to be around our kids anymore. i feel like im lost at sea here. completely.

Personally I do not know if the birth control is the reason for my recent body changes or if it is something else that may be causing these changes but since taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen my breast have been extremely sensentive, I have been overly tired and my mood swing have become worse. I've also have been experiencing weakness in my legs and truthfully I have never felt like this before taking this medication so the first thing I am going to do is call my doctor tomorrow morning and I am honestly thinking about stopping this medication